Beckham finished runner-up for the World footballer of the Year award while Owen was named European Footballer of the Year - the first British player to do since the Blues boss won the honour two years running while playing with German side SV Hamburg in 1978-79.

The Maine Road manager is a great admirer of the duo who have hit the sort of form that gives England a fighting chance in next year's World Cup, despite the nightmare draw.

Keegan said: ''They are both outstanding. Michael at 22 still has the best years ahead of him. This award has great prestige.''

The European award is voted upon by writers for the magazine France Football while the World Award is decided upon by a worldwide vote of 130 top coaches.

The World award has only been going for ten years and there has never been a British winner.

However the European award, running for 46 years, has been picked up by United trio George Best (1968), Bobby Charlton (1966) and Denis Law in 1964.

The only other winner of the elite honour from Britain was Sir Stanley Matthews, of Blackpool and England, in 1956.